It is carried out with the aim of analyzing and seeking solutions to food and citizen security issues, as well as addressing reconstruction with post-pandemic and post-disaster restructuring, institutional transparency and the proximity of parliaments to citizens.
SANTO DOMINGO.- President Luis Abinader leads the opening ceremony of the XI. Iberoamerican Parliamentary Forum 2022, taking place this Thursday at the National Congress, with the participation of Speakers of Parliament and delegations representing the 22 member countries of the Iberoamerican Conference.
The international event, held for the first time in the Dominican Republic, is part of the calendar of activities organized by the country in its capacity as Pro Tempore Secretariat of the Ibero-American Conference, organized by the Senate and the Dominican Republic Chamber of Deputies, with the support of the Ibero-American General Secretariat and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
It is carried out with the aim of analyzing and seeking solutions to food and citizen security issues, as well as addressing reconstruction with post-pandemic and post-disaster restructuring, institutional transparency and the proximity of parliaments to citizens.
In addition to this Thursday, the activity will take place on tomorrow’s Friday.
SPEECH PRESIDENT ABINADER
Best regards
Ladies and gentlemen,
As Constitutional President of the Republic, convinced that regional integration and cooperation between countries are fundamental pillars for building the future of progress, security and economic development that we in Iberoamerica deserve, I would like to extend a warm welcome to our country on the occasion of this celebration XI Iberoamerican Parliamentary Forum 2022.
This meeting, held for the first time in the Dominican Republic as part of our tenure at the head of the Pro Tempore Secretariat of the Iberoamerican Conference, was created with the clear aim of gathering will and finding common points that are involved in the configuration of the Ibero-American identity of the 21st century.
We meet in this first city of America with the aim of analyzing and seeking realistic solutions that will address the problems of nutrition and citizen security in each of our countries, in addition to the economic recovery and social restructuring that we once had to address declared the end the most dramatic moments of the Covid-19 pandemic. We are addressing this post-pandemic and disaster space to provide our best experience and be prepared for the future.
But we will also talk about two issues that are very important in these times when the Ibero-American countries and the rest of the world attach more importance to respect for democratic values, the recognition of social, political and economic rights and good practices on the part of state institutions , which are on the one hand the institutional transparency and on the other hand the closeness and openness of the parliaments to the citizens.
All this through the representation of the Speakers of Parliament and the representative delegations of the 22 member countries of the Ibero-American Conference, present at this conclave, whose framework could not be more favorable: the National Congress, seat of popular sovereignty, symbol of the democratic system that all the Dominicans built together , generation after generation.
friends and friends,
With this meeting we are delivering an important message: the Iberoamerican community is one of the most dynamic places for coexistence, consultation and dialogue in the world. This is mixed thanks to the historical ties that unite the countries that make it our community on both sides of the Atlantic.
This shared history and a shared desire to work together for the best interests of the citizens of Ibero-America serve as the basis for the celebrations XI Iberoamerican Parliamentary Forum 2022the results of which are sent to XXVIII. Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government March 2023 in the Dominican Republic.
In this room, therefore, the various leaders will be able to address these and other proposals with the aim of being able to implement them with the participation of all.
They are staunch believers, and I have said so in various places where I have had the opportunity to be involved, that it is our collective interests of growth, development and love of democracy that move us as nations of the Ibero-American community pay particular attention to strengthening dialogue mechanisms that allow us to share experiences that underpin the structural reforms that many of our countries need; and work towards the democratization and institutional strengthening of each of our nations.
Similarly, advocate for transparency at all levels of government; working for equality and for the recognition of our diversity makes our work much more intensive. As countries, we must lay the foundations on which to support the public policies we develop; so that they are truly effective and allow us to respond appropriately to the needs of our citizens.
This meeting space is an opportunity for dialogue to reaffirm the values of coexistence and peace for which we work, and of course it is a space in which the sovereign rights of our peoples are reaffirmed while extolling the values of cooperation and peaceful coexistence become and democratic empowerment.
I am very honored to speak to you on behalf of the Dominican people and I am very proud of how Dominican men and women have been able to overcome the adversity we have had to live through in recent years of health crisis and an international context of war, with the associated risks for trade and global food security, particularly for the countries of our Ibero-American conglomerate.
There is no democracy without peace; there is no democracy without citizen security. And in that order, we have decided to bet on a profound transformation of our National Police through the implementation of a comprehensive plan for the safety of citizens, aimed at making a change from the root of our security system to ensure the continuity of social peace We Today in the Dominican Republic enjoy fighting organized crime, which affects all Ibero-American countries in a similar way, and creating a fairer country for those who forge our nation with their work and dedication from dawn to dusk.
I know that in this forum you will raise issues related to citizen security and also talk about recovery. And there is a lot we can contribute to this, since we are also internationally recognized as a country for our resilience; Because the Dominican Republic’s economic recovery is an example of good practice and sound economic decisions; because we have known how to first support and then win back the tourism sector in order to position ourselves as number one on a global level.
But we are also an example of how to deal appropriately, effectively and successfully with a crisis as critical as that of the coronavirus. The work we have done as government, without shying away from economic or other efforts, despite our limitations, with the sole aim of guaranteeing the lives of our citizens, leaving no one without a livelihood or job and fighting to keep the business network on at the national level, great efforts were rewarded.
Today we are a much stronger country. A nation moving towards a future of economic growth and social development.
This experience, which brings us together for the first time since this forum was held more than eight years ago, chaired by the President of the Senate, Eduardo Estrella, and the President of the Chamber of Deputies, Alfredo Pacheco, brings us much closer together countries that support us offer the opportunity to strengthen our relationships and find common answers to the problems that affect us all.
As countries of the Ibero-American community, we have the opportunity to put on the agenda what we want for our countries and our region in the years to come.
We have a duty to meet our customers, to meet their needs by finding solutions to cover them.
They have placed their trust in us and it is our duty to make the voice of the Ibero-American people heard.
We have a great challenge ahead of us and we are here to give continuity to the great project of unity and solidarity for Ibero-America.
Welcome everyone to the Dominican Republic.
And may God bless you always.